Twisting Knife
by Miss Vanderwaal
Summary: "I know I'm not your favorite person, so you don't have any reason to feel compelled to say what I expect to hear, but… do you think Mike really likes me?"


**AN: If I could tell you guys one solo thing about me, that thing would be that I'm a nutcase about baby girl Mona (I think my username kinda shows it a little). In my heart, her and Hanna (Vandermarin) will always win, but I'm basically able to alternatively ship Mona with any other female character on the PLL cast. Seriously. So here's a sample of what I mean :)**

 **Ps: this was based on a scene of 5x11.**

Aria was applying chapstick to her bottom lip, facing the bathroom mirror, when she caught sight of someone at the door. The sun was setting outside. She was getting ready to go out to diner with Ella and Byron while Mike should be getting ready to go on his first real date with his soon-to-be girlfriend. He wasn't home yet, though, and the girl was just standing there now, looking at her, for whatever odd reason.

\- Hi – Aria greeted in a friendly voice, rapidly grabbing her makeup bag. – Do you wanna use the bathroom? I can finish up in my room.

Mona gazed at her shoes for a second and took a deep breath before forcing a smile. She looked tired.

\- No, I… I actually think I'm gonna go. So, can you tell Mike that when he gets back?

Aria's instant thought was "why don't you call him and tell him yourself?" but then she figured Mona probably already had tried to call him, but he hadn't answered. Of course. When Mike was playing basketball with his troop he just wasn't capable of noticing the existence of the rest of the world.

\- Are you sure you don't wanna wait some more? I mean, he could be on his way.

\- I doubt it – Mona let out a soft laugh. – I called him like a dozen times within an hour and by the third time it started going straight to voice mail.

The information didn't fail to amaze Aria – Mona had been waiting quietly for Mike in his bedroom for all that time? – and she had to contain a huff of disapproval. She couldn't believe her little brother was learning at such a young age how to become a typical Rosewood boy – a pig, basically.

\- Well, okay – Aria slowly agreed, as nicely as she could. – I'll tell him when I see him. But I'm sure he'll call you back.

She wasn't sure, but she felt like she should comfort Mona somehow; the girl was all dressed up, for God's sake! Her cherry print blouse accentuated her curves so well it looked like a freaking corset and she was in leather pants, which were certainly not the most comfy thing ever.

Mona gave Aria a thank you and another forced smile before turning around to walk away; it was obvious now that she had been crying earlier and Aria felt her heart ache a little.

\- Actually – Mona took half a step back and held one side of the door frame –, can I ask you something else?

Aria nodded, suddenly feeling powerless before the girl whose voice was now audibly faltering.

\- I know I'm not your favorite person, so you don't have any reason to feel compelled to say what I expect to hear, but… do you think Mike really likes me?

An intake of breath got caught up in Aria's throat. There was a hopeful little smile tentatively curving Mona's lips. She looked so naïve now, so different from school girl Mona – who walked the hallways of Rosewood High like she didn't let her guard down easy –, and Aria felt like she was being stabbed by the memories of how many times she'd questioned herself about what her brother saw in that girl, of how many times she'd thought they didn't "click" as a couple.

Aria had always thought of Mona as kind of an anti-social, to be honest, at least when it came to Emily, Spencer and herself. Sometimes, in between classes, Aria would receive weird looks from Mona, as if the girl clearly had some kind of repulse towards her, and she knew the same happened to her friends, minus Hanna, because the blonde had been the only one to stick with Mona during the bullying era, also known as Alison DiLaurentis.

Deep down Aria knew Mona didn't like them because they would still hang out with Ali as if they didn't remember how mean Ali used to be, but for unknown reasons it had been easier to let the antipathy be mutual than to actually apologize to Mona for not stopping the queen bee back in the day.

Aria was craving to apologize now, though, but she was also scared of making things worse by changing the subject so abruptly. So she decided to just answer the question, making sure she sounded incisive yet sweet.

\- Of course he likes you – she took a step closer to Mona, who mirrored the move. – Listen, Mike is a very shy kid when it comes to, well, anyone, really, besides his family and his friends, that are mostly dumbasses.

Aria managed to crack a breathy laugh out of Mona, which clearly broke some of the tension around them.

\- My point is you're the first girl he's ever attempted to flirt with – Aria continued as Mona stepped closer to her once more –, the right way, I mean. And he may not know how to deal with your maturity yet. In fewer words, I think the fact that you're two years older may intimidate him a little.

Aria bit the inside of her bottom lip as she concluded to stop herself from talking. She was trying to advocate for her brother but the truth was she didn't believe a single word she was saying. What the hell did the fact that Mike was sixteen have to do with him not returning Mona's calls anyway? In fact, the handful of flings he had in the past ended up the exactly like so.

\- Yeah, maybe – Mona agreed in a nasal tone. She was seemingly getting rid of a cold. – I don't know, it took him so long to ask me out and when he finally did… – she sniffed back her tears, wiping a tiny one from the corner of her eye with the back of one hand. – Sometimes I feel like I'm not special enough.

Now it felt like a knife was relentlessly twisting in Aria's chest.

\- Hey – she unthinkingly cupped one side of Mona's face, bringing her gaze upwards. They were inches away from each other now. – Don't say that. Mona, don't ever say that. You are special. The fact that you're here, worried about what Mike might think of you, shows just how much. And if he can't realize that, well, it's his loss.

Mona's next thin smile warmed up everything that was once cold inside Aria; the girl leaned a bit against her touch and looked right into her eyes. It was nice giving back an unrushed look to someone without having to tilt her neck up.

\- I see you in him – Mona spoke, putting a lock of Aria's straight hair behind her ear, as if she was contemplating something. – Your eyes, your kindness. It's all there whenever he looks at me.

The compliment made Aria feel weak on her knees. The kiss that followed it was no surprise, and if Aria wasn't feeling so numb because of Mona's words, _she_ would've gone for it, after all it seemed like the perfect way to say she was terribly sorry for all the years of indifference.

It certainly felt like the reflection of someone buried in an almost overwhelming type of need; the way Mona was gently brushing their tongues together made it impossible for Aria to refuse herself to the girl and soon enough she was trailing kisses down Mona's neck. She held her for a moment, acknowledging her curves for real, but then glanced at the wide open door in front of them.

\- Wait – Aria pulled away, knowing she shouldn't make eye contact, otherwise she would crush. – My mom's right downstairs and my dad's gonna be here any minute. And Mike…

It didn't work. Aria eventually came to meet Mona's big and disappointed brown eyes. There was a frown on the girl's face and for a second Aria thought she could hear a hurt "why?" in her own mind, but then Mona blinked, seeming to suddenly snap out of it.

\- I shouldn't have – she lowered her head and when she lifted it back up, a tear was streaking down her face, which she rapidly wiped. – You're right, it was a bad idea.

The imaginary knife plunged to Aria's chest by her own guilt kept on twisting. She held Mona's hand before the girl could walk away.

\- I didn't say that.

Once they got to Aria's room, Aria locked the door twice and pressed Mona against it. Even though it was already dark in there – she wouldn't bother flickering on the switch –, she knew Mona's gaze was on her, trying to put some sense into what was going on. The girl probably gave up questioning herself when their lips met again, though.

The kiss was deeper this time and way careless about what might be the take of outsiders on it.

\- You're beautiful – Aria said while gasping for breath. Her palms were cupping Mona's breasts over her blouse.

\- You too, Ms. Montgomery – Mona wrapped her arms around Aria's neck.

Aria smiled at the soft yet lustful way the girl pronounced her last name together with "miss"; she sounded purely delighted, as if she had been dying to combine those two words out loud, in that inflection, for a long time.

As her tongue found its way to Mona's once again, Aria slid her right hand in between the girl's legs, over her pants. Mona glued her head to the door and moaned into the kiss, which made Aria realize that she was, too, eager for what was about to happen. She parted their lips and Mona soon enough let out a louder moan, maddeningly sexy because of its hoarseness. _Do it again_ , Aria was craving to command, but she silently ran her right palm up Mona's stomach instead, then taking off the girl's blouse.

\- Who would've thought, huh? – Mona practically whispered once she was laying down on Aria's bed wearing nothing but black panties and matching bra. – Ms. Montgomery, quiet little artist girl.

It was official. Aria loved her last name slipping out of that girl's mouth. She slid her own panties off, as her navy blue dress was already on the floor, but took a second to do the same with Mona so she could glance up and down that body. Granted, it was going to be a quick thing, but Aria would make her parents wait if she had to because she didn't want Mona to think it had been a mistake dressing all fancy, she wanted Mona to feel appreciated.

\- Show me where does it say you _have_ to make a lot of noise during sex – she teased, once she was on top of the girl, fit in between her arched legs.

With closed eyes, Mona only gasped in response to Aria slowly grinding their hips together. The fact that Mona seemed to want it more than she did, almost desperately, surprised Aria a bit; the girl kept pushing her hips up to keep their sensitive spots always in contact. Such eagerness was beyond flattering.

At one point, Mona unhooked Aria's bra. A smirk came across her face when she tentatively cupped Aria's breasts with her hands, as if she had never done it before. Aria closed her own eyes and let herself be touched like that, and it actually brought her closer to the edge.

Watching Mona come beneath her was one of the greatest experiences for Aria. The girl's body spasmed almost violently and she shut her eyes, slightly arching her neck and making the veins in it pop out because of that last groan. Aria dragged her lips over Mona's pulse point and allowed the orgasm to take over herself as well.

\- I, quite frankly, don't know what to make of this – Mona stated pretty calmly, seconds later. They were both laid on their backs on Aria's bed, staring at the ceiling. – I mean, we're not friends and yet…

The sentence was left unfinished. Aria turned to Mona, resting her head on her right hand.

\- Do we have to make something of it? And, yes, we're not friends, but we could be – she proposed, and maybe part of her intention with that whole thing slipped through her hopeful tone.

A long period of silence went by before Mona spoke again.

\- It was the first orgasm I had with someone else.

Aria frowned at the confession.

\- Seriously? Wow – then she wished she'd bitten that last word back. Sex shouldn't be that big of a deal at eighteen.

Mona let out a slight laugh.

\- Noel never got me off back in the day. He never knew how. Or never cared enough. And I guess I never care enough to say something either.

 _Noel's a douchebag_ , Aria thought to herself, but actually bit back the comment this time. It was true, though. A couple of years ago, Noel and Mona acted to the whole school as if they were each other's trophies and not each other's lovers. It was obvious to the keen eye that no actual heat could come out of that relationship.

Suddenly, a flash of curiosity went through Aria, an urge to ask Mona if her and Hanna hadn't ever tried anything. The hypothesis was logical. Hanna and Mona were always at each other's places for sleepovers, especially when they were younger. And, well, anything can happen during a movie night. But soon she smiled as she realized that such information didn't concern her.

\- You're welcome, then – they met eyes and Mona smiled back, as if they truly knew each other for years.

Aria felt comfortable under that gaze and laid a hand on Mona's stomach, kissing her way up and unhooking Mona's bra to kiss in between her breasts as well.

\- Don't ever let someone underestimate you again – she said softly once she reached the girl's full lips – You're worth so much.

Mona ran her fingers through Aria's hair in a soft motion.

\- I won't. Promise.

And they kissed again, harder than every other time in the last few minutes. They switched positions and Aria gladly embraced Mona on top of her. She was happier than she imagined she would be, because she knew what it all meant now. That knife would no longer twist in her heart.


End file.
